license plate shenanigans

[Pete M]

Come and listen to a story about a man named Pete...

 

So my dad's 83 Z-28 has been in storage for a few years now and he really wanted to drive it this summer. On July 3rd I went over to the Secretary of State to get the plates updated. The SOS in Wyandotte had a huge line in it so I drove out to Woodhaven to try there. The line was shorter but the A/C was broken. But I toughed it out and waited my turn. When the lady looked through the paperwork she noticed that the VIN on the insurance paper was wrong. D'oh!

So I walked out empty handed (except for a no-more-waiting-in-line pass).

It was too late to call the Insurance company so he missed out on driving the car that weekend. The next week he got a hold of the Ins people and they faxed over the new papers. Upon closer inspection, the VIN was still wrong. So the next day he called and tried again. This time the correct papers were faxed and the next chance I got I went to the SOS. This time I was told that there was a hold on the plate because of a vehicular incident back in April of this year. No amount of explaining that the car hasn't moved in at least 4 years was going to get past this and she said I needed to bring in the title so she could use that to iron it out.

So I walked out empty handed again.

Dad and I spent the next couple days trying to track down the title with no luck (he hasn't seen it since the 80s). But he did find the original paperwork for the purchase back in '83. For giggles I went over to the Camaro to check out the plate. Of course it didn't match the number the SOS has so I unscrewed it and the next chance I got I took the plate and paperwork to the SOS. This time I talked to someone different and she told me that I was not authorized to take care of this matter and that Dad would need to fill out a form.

So I walked out with this form in hand.

Dad filled it out and the next chance I had I went back to the SOS. (by now I figure I'm getting maximum value out of that pass). This time I was told that the form was invalid. It seems that Dad made a mistake on it, crossed it out and wrote the correct number, thus invalidating the whole thing.

So I walked out with a new form.

Dad filled it out again and the next chance I got I went back to the SOS. This time everything seemed to be in order except that the car was no longer in the system. Neither the original plate, nor the incorrect plate nor the VIN was in the system. But fortunately all three were still under Dad's name in the computer so the lady was able to reissue a plate and title.

So I finally walked out with a plate in hand.

Yesterday Dad puts the plate on the car (which is stored in my Grandparents' garage) and drives home.

.

.

.

.

.

Some time between then and a half hour ago the plate vanished off the car. :roll:

I can't wait til Monday's trip to the SOS. :D

[MiNi Beast]

That's alot of reading...... maybe later....... :D

[88XJSport]

How did the plate vanish off the car?

 

 

Any pics of said Z28?? :brows:

[maddzz1]

The registry can be one of the most frustrating places on the planet.

 

I mean, it took them 40 years to figure out they could have you pull a number and sit down to wait instead of standing in line for 4 hours.

[Pete M]

No idea where the plate went. :dunno: My bet is that it was stolen. It's pretty hard for a plate to just fall off.

 

 

[Akula69]

Hmmm...I'd be taking a photocopy of all the revelant paperwork and keeping the origs in a safe deposit box. That way, you can always find them (as long as you remember which bank!).

 

Good luck with that Pete :cheers:

[Pete M]

That's where he thought the title would be, but it wasn't. You can bet as soon as that title shows up in the mail I'll be taking a trip to the bank. :thumbsup:

[summerinmaine]

That's where he thought the title would be, but it wasn't. You can bet as soon as that title shows up in the mail I'll be taking a trip to the bank. :thumbsup:

 

With that much drama, I was fearing a different outcome.

 

A little while back, some woman out here had a similar paperwork "snafu" on a 60s Mustang she had owned since the early 70s, and when the VIN was corrected, it turned out the car had been stolen, and was confiscated and returned to the original owner (once they tracked him down). :eek:

 

In a monumental display of magnanimity, he gave the car back to the woman! :bowdown:

[BLHTAZ]

WOW... What an experience. I have always hated going to the tag office. I am glad that they do most everything online now as far as tag renewals and even driver license renwals. No more waiting in line.

[mvusse]

An acquaintance of mine is a deputy sheriff. A while back he ran his own plate for kicks and giggle and found out his 95 Ford Ranger he'd had for 2 years supposedly was a 71 Chevy C10. Turns out the car lot had given him the wrong title and he never looked at it to notice.

[MiNi Beast]

An acquaintance of mine is a deputy sheriff. A while back he ran his own plate for kicks and giggle and found out his 95 Ford Ranger he'd had for 2 years supposedly was a 71 Chevy C10. Turns out the car lot had given him the wrong title and he never looked at it to notice.

 

So this means the one who gives you the tickets? :yes:

[mvusse]

An acquaintance of mine is a deputy sheriff. A while back he ran his own plate for kicks and giggle and found out his 95 Ford Ranger he'd had for 2 years supposedly was a 71 Chevy C10. Turns out the car lot had given him the wrong title and he never looked at it to notice.

 

So this means the one who gives you the tickets? :yes:

 

No, the one married to the boss' sister. Don't think I've been pulled over by anything but local police for like 14 years now, and I know all of them personally, so they usually just tell me to either slow it down, or get it the heck home and fix whatever problem there is (like an overloaded trailer without working lights behind a Comanche not rated for towing anywhere near that load). When he stopped by again I plugged the lights into the Suburban to show I had "fixed" the lights. Comanche doesn't have the correct plug yet. They don't actually write me tickets since my ex still signs their pay checks. But when they pulled over my daughter for doing 50 in a 25 zone they called her mother on the spot and got her grounded from her car for three months. She said she'd rather have paid the ticket :D

[mfpdm]

No idea where the plate went. :dunno: My bet is that it was stolen. It's pretty hard for a plate to just fall off.

 

 

 

This is a growing problem throughout the country. People are stealing plates, going and filling up at he gas station, and driving off without paying. The camera's record the car and plate, but low and behold, they don't match. :shake:

[xjcrazy09]

I saw a guy back out of a gas station after stealing gas and back down the 4 lane highway the wrong way. all while the passenger was leaning out the window throwing any type of trash he could find in the car at the gas station attendant who was frantically running down the street after them.

[CEThomas]

Nice Z-28 :cheers:

 

Wish we had our Z back :cry:

[jared]

ahhh reminds me of my z28 i had for about a week, then i got rid of it because of too much michigan rust :cry:

[Pete M]

That's not a problem on this one. :D She's the last of her kind. 3,391 5.0L HOs were made in '83. Dad ordered it just the way he wanted it.

[wooky48]

Just curious because this wasn't mentioned........ were back taxes charged for the years it wasn't registered. Here where I live they do, doesn't matter to the local tag office that you just bought a vehicle that has been sitting under a tree or in a barn for 10 years, SOMEBODY owes back ad-valorum on it before new plates are issued.

[Pete M]

Nope. Nothing over the usually fees except for the 10 dollar late fee. It was registered as late as 06 though so it's not that bad.

 

And I forgot to update that there's a shiny new new plate on the Z and it's up and running again. :D